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February 18, 2014

Venezuela Rejects U.S. Ploy to Promote a Coup d’état, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the U.S. 18/02/2014

On Sunday, the Bolivarian Government rejected statements made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about the fascist, violent acts carried out in the past few days by right-wing groups in the country. The Bolivarian Government considers his statements to be a U.S. ploy to promote destabilization in Venezuela.

The following is a translation of the complete text:

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs

Statement

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly rejects statements made by the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, given that they constitute yet another maneuver by the Government in Washington to promote and legitimize attempts to destabilize Venezuelan democracy unleashed by violent group in the past few days.

The Barack Obama Administration lies when it questions our country’s record of human rights and democratic guarantees. The institutions of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, established through the rule of law and justice, guarantee the exercise of political rights to all its citizens under a wide-ranging framework of civil liberties that are constitutionally consecrated.

The U.S. Government lies when it denounces the arrest of peaceful, anti-government protestors. The Venezuelan State has acted and will continue to act against violent actions perpetrated by extreme right splinter groups that dangerously conspire against democratic freedoms in threatening the lives of our fellow citizens and their freedom to peacefully exercise their rights, as well as against public and private property through vandalism that is punishable by law.

Secretary of State John Kerry, on behalf of his government, comes to the defense of violent leader Leopoldo López. The world should know that there is enough evidence that the groups which perpetrated the violence of the past days are led by Mr. Leopoldo López, and a legal arrest warrant has been issued for him to be placed in the custody of the authorities. No type of force or extortion will stop this decision by Venezuelan authorities, a decision that is needed to restore peace to our Homeland.

The Government of the United States should take responsibility, in front of the Venezuelan people and the world, for allowing U.S. institutions and individuals to finance, legitimize and promote actions by persons and groups that violently threaten Venezuelan society and attempt to twist the democratically expressed will of our people to build our country’s destiny in a sovereign manner.

The Venezuelan people and Government, in hand with every State institution and organizations of people’s power, will imperturbably continue exercising all the actions which, under the framework of the Constitution, laws and principles of a true people’s democracy, are necessary to guarantee the normal function of society, and to defeat the agenda of violence openly promoted by the imperial government of the United States.

We call upon the most active solidarity of independent governments and peoples of the world against this grave U.S. intervention.